SK Socket Quality
- Thread starter V22mech
- Start date
The off-center broaching creates a section of the wall that's thinner than it's supposed to be, which reduces the strength.
I don't mind SK's silver paint or the goofy flashing at the bottom of the larger broaches, but off-center broaching is a legitimate problem.
I've had the issue with some small 1/4 sizes. The vendor sent a replacement set which also had some bad sockets, but between the two I put together a full set that's acceptable.
They are nice sockets when the broaching is good, but it's as if they're making them on old worn out machines.
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I agree, these issues are not being seen in cheep Chinese/Taiwan socketry. I think they are using old worn out tooling. The future don't look bright producing tools like that. Maybe to compete they significantly had to reduce costs of production due to a high wage environment. Damn shame....even German tool co's are moving offshore. To support high end tools, well when you pay a premium for them you gotta receive 'high end' tools. Looks like accountants have taken over another production facility.
spicytuna
Member
Just received my new SK 94521 3/8 set in the metal box.
Great looking sockets! The silver finish on the inside is spotty and inconsistent but I'm sure it'll rub out upon use.
On the other hand, they didn't stamp the "2" in my "21 mm" socket. What's up with that?!?!
Great looking sockets! The silver finish on the inside is spotty and inconsistent but I'm sure it'll rub out upon use.
On the other hand, they didn't stamp the "2" in my "21 mm" socket. What's up with that?!?!
I purchased a 21mm 6pt deep socket to use on my lugs. It is really nice no issues with the exception of some material left in the second groove. I used a pick to get it out. Looks like it was there prior to the chrome process. You really had to look hard to see it. I cleaned it up, the wife was asking what I was doing, I told her I was polishing my tool.
anndel
Well-known member
Just received my new SK 94521 3/8 set in the metal box.
Great looking sockets! The silver finish on the inside is spotty and inconsistent but I'm sure it'll rub out upon use.
On the other hand, they didn't stamp the "2" in my "21 mm" socket. What's up with that?!?!
Wow, so it was missing a digit. I thought my eyes were playing tricks and SK really did make a 1mm socket.
DerekV
Well-known member
Just received my new SK 94521 3/8 set in the metal box.
Great looking sockets! The silver finish on the inside is spotty and inconsistent but I'm sure it'll rub out upon use.
On the other hand, they didn't stamp the "2" in my "21 mm" socket. What's up with that?!?!
How are the socket retention divots on the square female end? Maybe it's just the angle of the picture, but it looks like they're missing...I know a lot of mine were nonexistent.
spicytuna
Member
Wamsutta
Well-known member
^
Do they all look exactly the same, or are there slight variations in size and shape?
Do they all look exactly the same, or are there slight variations in size and shape?
WWheeler
Well-known member
I'd send it back with the explanation that it keeps slipping on all of my 1mm fasteners.
spicytuna
Member
Are you talking about the retention divots? They looks uniform to me.
I inserted the 3/8 extension in all of them and they look to be secure.
Problem was just cosmetic so I can live it for now... although at $240Cdn, it costs about 4x that of a fairly decent brand which is made overseas.
Ideal bought SK as a brand only as I understood.
No tooling or effective operating facilities. A bonus was barrels of old stock in a warehouse they should have sold outside their own region. Africa or S. America, somewhere that it could not br popping up to haunt them like this.
Most of their current tooling should be about 3 years old at the oldest.
No tooling or effective operating facilities. A bonus was barrels of old stock in a warehouse they should have sold outside their own region. Africa or S. America, somewhere that it could not br popping up to haunt them like this.
Most of their current tooling should be about 3 years old at the oldest.
Last year when they had their 40% off sale, I had two socket sets in my cart. I thought about it for a day. Too many of these threads came to mind, and I decided to go with Snap On instead. I can see and feel sockets on the truck before buying them. Zero hassle is more important to me than price.
It IS sad, because I really want to like SK.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
Yes, retention divots, or sometimes called detents. They are the first things I check when inspecting sockets. A common problem with Taiwan made sockets is they have their detents ever so slightly in the wrong location.
American Locomotive
Well-known member
..or not there. I have a Stanley 100 whatever piece socket set in my truck for emergencies. Most of the 1/4" sockets are missing the retention dents. Shame too, because the set is otherwise pretty decent and the ratchets are more than serviceable.
yeah i picked up a stanley set (i think it was a 45pc) super cheap to throw in my mom's minivan and it was a similar situation with a bunch of sockets (i believe all the 1/4" except for the bit holder socket) not having them
I sent about half a dozen sockets back to SK for warranty about a week ago, for what I deem to be workmanship defects.
Well, guess what? SK refused delivery of my package. No reason was given for the refusal and I did in fact have the correct address for SK's warranty service. The post office returned the package to me, but not before collecting additional fees.
I've lost faith in SK and won't be supporting them any longer. I know now that 'made in the USA' does not necessarily mean high quality and it's a damn shame.
Well, guess what? SK refused delivery of my package. No reason was given for the refusal and I did in fact have the correct address for SK's warranty service. The post office returned the package to me, but not before collecting additional fees.
I've lost faith in SK and won't be supporting them any longer. I know now that 'made in the USA' does not necessarily mean high quality and it's a damn shame.
Next
Well-known member
Wasn’t there an SK rep on this board?
No response?
No response?
Why should he bother?
southalabama
Well-known member
Only junk S&K I've ever bought was off ebay. Once I opened it I immediately knew that I had been had. It wasn't S&K the american tool company. It had some variant of Sk lettering. Chinese ****.
There is an SK rep, and you’re right why would he give a damn about poor QC of SK tools?
Dave from Tekton and Chris from Astro run circles around SK when it comes to customer service and satisfaction.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
All this negativity about SK gets lost in the GJ archives because there's no way to search under SK ... it only has two letters. The search query has a minimum requirement of four letters. In about a week from now, somebody will start a thread praising SK and all the replies will be praising SK.
thesilverone
Well-known member
I agree 100%. With all the experts in this thread he's not needed.
That's what I was getting at...
Did you have any communication with SK before you sent the sockets in?
vssjim
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Either SK Eric is not on the board anymore or doesn't work there anymore in the same capacity as I sent him a message and heard nothing back and he used to answer right away.
BigBoreFan
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2010
- Messages
- 311
WARRANTY PROCESS
You may take your warranty item(s) to your local SK dealer or you may send them directly to:
SK® Hand Tool, LLC
1600 South Prairie Drive
Sycamore, IL 60178
Make sure to include your name, address and phone number inside the package.
You may take your warranty item(s) to your local SK dealer or you may send them directly to:
SK® Hand Tool, LLC
1600 South Prairie Drive
Sycamore, IL 60178
Make sure to include your name, address and phone number inside the package.
No, it is not required as far as I know. I followed the warranty instructions on their website.
davethorik
Well-known member
I think it's humorous that bad tools can result from good management, and vise versa.
My dad said he was having difficulty finding a specific set of sockets one year around Christmas, so I agreed to find him a set as a Christmas gift. His requirements: USA made, 3/8 drive, chrome, 6pt deep SAE sockets, 3/8" thru 1"-ish. He claimed all he could find was 12pt and got frustrated looking in catalogs.
Anyway, I found the SK set no. 4433 to meet all criteria after a decent amount of research, although it did have more sockets than needed. Set is 1/4"-1". New from Ideal-owned SK, it was very slightly out of my price range at the time, IIRC north of $100. I believe Proto did have a comparable set, but was more expensive by more than $20, so that was out.
EBay to the rescue once again...a NOS 4433 set, still in plastic shrink wrap on metal rail for $55, not a steal but a fair price. These were from the last iteration of SK pre-bankruptcy, which I believe was S•K. There seems to be a general consensus this time frame yielded some of their worst stuff...however, not the case with these at all.
Beautifully finished set, no bad or questionable broaches, very uniform set, evenly engraved about the drive, so all could be mounted to rail and look uniform. There was some silver paint inside the sockets, which dad exchanged for grease and bits of rust by about June, so 6 months of ownership is what it took my dad to rid the sockets of the evil silver paint, and nobody even died!!!
Not only that, Dad's been working the piss out of these in his little retirement man cave/work shop for 3-4 years now, zero problems. Every time I see them scattered about, covered in grease I smile and then I get on his case about how i didn't buy him the damn sockets to scatter them about like birdseed, and how they needed ran thru parts washer and put on the rail in order...just like how he would good-naturedly bark the same thing to me when I was 12. I think we both get a kick out of that inversion.
My dad said he was having difficulty finding a specific set of sockets one year around Christmas, so I agreed to find him a set as a Christmas gift. His requirements: USA made, 3/8 drive, chrome, 6pt deep SAE sockets, 3/8" thru 1"-ish. He claimed all he could find was 12pt and got frustrated looking in catalogs.
Anyway, I found the SK set no. 4433 to meet all criteria after a decent amount of research, although it did have more sockets than needed. Set is 1/4"-1". New from Ideal-owned SK, it was very slightly out of my price range at the time, IIRC north of $100. I believe Proto did have a comparable set, but was more expensive by more than $20, so that was out.
EBay to the rescue once again...a NOS 4433 set, still in plastic shrink wrap on metal rail for $55, not a steal but a fair price. These were from the last iteration of SK pre-bankruptcy, which I believe was S•K. There seems to be a general consensus this time frame yielded some of their worst stuff...however, not the case with these at all.
Beautifully finished set, no bad or questionable broaches, very uniform set, evenly engraved about the drive, so all could be mounted to rail and look uniform. There was some silver paint inside the sockets, which dad exchanged for grease and bits of rust by about June, so 6 months of ownership is what it took my dad to rid the sockets of the evil silver paint, and nobody even died!!!
Not only that, Dad's been working the piss out of these in his little retirement man cave/work shop for 3-4 years now, zero problems. Every time I see them scattered about, covered in grease I smile and then I get on his case about how i didn't buy him the damn sockets to scatter them about like birdseed, and how they needed ran thru parts washer and put on the rail in order...just like how he would good-naturedly bark the same thing to me when I was 12. I think we both get a kick out of that inversion.
Why do you think Ideal’s acquisition didn’t include tooling? They didn’t start from scratch. As long as it’s taken them sometimes to introduce new products, how were able to retool and start turning out the legacy products relatively flawlessly?
Eric’s first post suggests they acquired tooling.
I did see Ideal hired a new head sales guy away from Apex.
https://globenewswire.com/news-rele...x-Tool-Group-Director-to-Lead-Salesforce.html
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American Locomotive
Well-known member
Did you call/e-mail them ahead of time to arrange the warranty exchange? I've heard of warranty packages getting returned multiple times from many different companies because of things like this. Always call/e-mail first.
I called to ask about warranty on my sockets from the original post. They verified that I didn't have a dealer near me and sent me an email with the same return instructions as their web site. I wasn't given an individualized tracking number or anything, so I'm not sure calling ahead will help. I'm on vacation, but hopefully there will be some replacement sockets on my door step when I get home.
I had no idea the topic would be so polarizing. I never meant for this to be an attack on the brand, I was just trying to determine if this was par for the course before investing significant amounts of money into what I hoped would be the last tools I would ever need to own. Unfortunately, there seem to be so many eras of SK in the wild that nobody really seems to be able to answer my original question as to what the state of the current brand is. I will be sure to post an update if my return was accepted and the replacements arrive.
I'll give it a shot...
SK, under the current Ideal ownership still seems to be hit or miss in the QC dept. There are several threads similar to yours. As a matter of fact I posted a similar thread a couple years ago about a 1/4" set I bought where there was off center broaching, missing or shallow detents and crappy chrome on the outside of some of the sockets (no, not paint splatter). I was attacked as a "tool polisher" and needless complainer. Anyway, I returned mine for a refund and haven't revisited SK since. It's a shame, I really wanted to like and keep that set. I own several SK tools (wrenches, ratchets) but no sockets anymore. I discovered Ko-ken shortly after that experience and never looked back.
Bottom line, it seems like it's still a roll of the dice over at SK regarding socket QC.
Flame suit activated...
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^Agreed. I actually bought replacement sockets to replace some of the poor quality ones from my 1/4” set and to add insult to injury, the replacements were just as bad. I’m done with SK, will be selling my socket sets off and moving on. Don’t advertise high quality USA and deliver junk that is worse than a Taiwanese made tool that costs 1/4 of the price.
kythri
Well-known member
SK Eric last logged in on 05/09/2018, so he's been here recently, but hasn't posted for around 6 months...
I could be mistaken, but I think this is him:
https://www.idealindustries.com/content/idealcorp/en/leadership/eric-savage.html
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-savage-7401bbba
(see the email address he posted here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4993917&postcount=146)
It might be coincidental, and there might be two Eric Savage's, but if that is him, he might just be too busy to hang out here anymore.
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If it makes you feel any better, I was still sort of on the fence about SK. After reading your post, I wrote them off entirely. Their treatment of you literally cost them money. I bought these off the Snap On truck today:
View media item 8378712pc metric 1/4" drive deep socket set...for less than $5 more than SK sells their 13 piece set for at the "special price". Yes, its missing the 4mm socket. But they're perfect, and I know they will be hassle free if there ever happens to be a problem.